Abstract In 1886, a large earthquake (∼M6.9–M7.3) rocked the Summerville-Charleston South Carolina area along the southeastern coast of North America. The largest east coast earthquake in North America, the earthquake caused massive damage to the cities and left ∼100 people dead. No surface rupture has ever been located; however, ongoing seismicity and damage from the 1886 earthquake has helped scientists to locate the active faults at depth and to identify potential surface offsets. The first day of the field trip will look at the damage from the earthquake as a means of understanding more about the mechanics of the earthquake. As the field trip moves into downtown Charleston, the damage will be examined as a proxy for how earthquakes cause buildings to fail and the type of damage a future earthquake could cause. The ongoing seismic activity along the suspected causal faults suggests that the earthquake risk in the Summerville-Charleston area remains high, and so the second day of the field trip will focus on the potential effects of a moderate to large earthquake in the region of the 1886 earthquake. One of the unique features of the Charleston-Summerville area is the high potential for widespread liquefaction and damage to the many bridges in the area. Therefore, Day 2 will focus on the potential for damage from a major earthquake on bridges and highly liquefiable sites by visiting a bridgeport area and then a barrier island. The visit to the barrier island highlights one of the main problems in Charleston in the event of an earthquake, the isolation of communities, with over 720 bridges and many more culverts in the area it is expected that people will be isolated in small communities for long periods of time.

Folly Beach is a case study on the effects of multiple coastal barrier island management techniques. After the emplacement of the Charleston Harbor jetties in the late 1890s altered coastal sediment supply, Folly Island's beaches have retreated, and beachfront homeowners of the 1900s have attempted to slow the beach's retreat to protect their property along an eroding coast. The jetties interfere with the longshore transport of sand, depriving the beach of sand resources that has led to an erosion rate estimated between 0.3 m/yr and 1.8 m/yr. The town of Folly Beach has armored the shoreline and hard stabilization structures to protect property and prevent structures from being overwashed by waves. Now, property owners must rely on beach renourishment to retain a recreational beach and to protect their property. Charleston's wetlands, estuaries, and barrier islands are a major economic engine for the region, and Folly Beach is an important tourist destination. Politics, multiple measurement techniques, and poor understanding of the effects of hard stabilization structures on the beach have complicated the ability of policy makers and the public to navigate the variety of issues associated with coastal erosion in this region. Furthermore, its long history of development and attempts to stabilize the beach qualify Folly Island as one of America's most vulnerable beaches and an excellent case study on the effectiveness of different techniques in this dynamic system.